In my early forties, I began waking up during the night with my heart racing and had trouble falling back asleep. I visited my MD who prescribed me anti-anxiety and sleep medications, but even on these medications, I woke most nights, sometimes with a gasp, and then lay there awake for a couple of hours.

I assumed that my sleep issues could be attributed to being in my 40s and having the stress of a busy practice and three elementary aged kids. I also had a lot of headaches that started from the neck area, so I was getting regular massages, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and dry needling. For several years, I had worn a bite guard at night to protect my teeth from my grinding which had worn my posterior teeth flat.

After dealing with these sleep issues for a few years, I happened to participate in a course my study club offered on a new topic to dental medicine—sleep-disordered breathing. I learned that some people grind their teeth as a response to airway limitation and that the forward head position I’d developed was actually my body’s way of helping to create a more open airway. Even as a child my dad often commented I needed to stand up straight with my head and shoulders back. Neither of us knew my perceived bad habit was actually a desperate attempt for my body to get the oxygen it needed. While my body’s coping mechanism would somewhat aid my breathing, it also strained my neck muscles, contributing to my headaches and neck pain.

I now understand that not sleeping well can lead to anxiety and concentration/memory issues as well as body aches and pains, all of which were problematic for me. The heart racing I experienced during the night was my body’s way of saying, “Hey, I need more oxygen!” By the end of the course I had decided to ask my doctor to recommend a sleep study for me.

Just 2 weeks later, I received the results— moderate sleep apnea. Since then, I have studied in-depth the factors that contribute to sleep-disordered breathing in children and adults and have been able to greatly improve my quality of sleep.

Dr. Cheek’s CT showing decreased airway space

Using my experience in dealing with my own sleep apnea enabled me to transform my practice to help families. I look at tonsils in children as well as jaw development, narrow arches, continued thumbsucking, bed wetting, dark circles under the eyes, hyperactivity, snoring, which are all signs of sleep-disordered breathing in children. I am also helping tired adults and those with worn or broken teeth improve not only their dental health but their overall health as well by recognizing potential sleep breathing issues.

Some of the symptoms which show up during dental examinations are TMD (pain or dysfunction in the jaw joints), tooth wear, broken teeth, and scalloped tongues. Because I know that years of poor sleep and sleep-disordered breathing can lead to health issues and dementia, I feel grateful for my own personal journey that is helping me improve the quality of life for many patients.

Mouth sores that appear on the lips, roof of the mouth, tongue, gums, or inside the cheeks can be ugly, painful, and annoying. Eating and speaking can be difficult as any movement of the affected tissue can cause discomfort. Two common types of painful mouth sores are canker sores and cold sores. [Read more…]

We have all heard that we should avoid sugary foods if we want to have healthy teeth, but not all sugars and candies are created equal. Some sweets are less harmful to the teeth, and some are actually beneficial!

As another summer ends and a new school year approaches, many of us parents begin the task of preparing our children for their first day back to school. We shop for the necessary school supplies, we update their wardrobes, and we ensure they have the immunizations and booster shots necessary to continue in school. Children should also have a dental exam before returning to school to ensure they have a healthy mouth and the tools they need to maintain it. [Read more…]

I love the warm weather of the approaching summertime – a time when my family enjoys the beautiful sunshine and eats cold watermelon and homemade ice cream outside on our back porch. For people with sensitive teeth, however, this activity that my family so enjoys is not a treat. Cold foods and beverages make their teeth ache. [Read more…]

My dental practice treats everyone from toddlers to the elderly, and though we have a passion for cosmetic dentistry, children are usually the most fun and interesting patients.

I have had many enlightening experiences as kids surprise me with their perceptions of what is occurring during their dental appointments. After I extracted the tooth of a 7-year-old boy, the mother asked her son as they left our office, “Has your tooth stopped hurting yet?” to which her son replied,”I don’t know. The dentist has it.” In treating young patients I have learned that………… [Read more…]

Dentures are removablereplacements for your natural teeth and gums. There are essentially two categories called partial and complete (full) dentures. Partial dentures are made when a person still has some teeth in the arch, and they can replace one or more teeth. Complete dentures are made when the entire upper or lower jaw is missing all of the teeth. Both types of dentures are made from either dental acrylic (a type of plastic) or a combination of acrylic and metal. [Read more…]

Have you ever been on date or chatted with friends and felt that your (or someone else’s) breath was not so fresh? If so, you are not alone. Studies show that 50 percent of adults state that they have experienced bad breath. While many causes of bad breath are harmless and can be resolved with simple changes to your dental care routine, bad breath that lasts for an extended period of time, known as halitosis, can be a sign of something more serious. [Read more…]

Sucking is a natural instinct with which we are born. Babies and small children use fingers, pacifiers, and other objects to soothe and comfort themselves. Sucking is a normal, healthy part of our early development, but prolonged sucking – past the age of 4 – can cause a host of dental problems and may even indicate medical issues. [Read more…]

Overnight guests in our home have joked about my husband’s snoring. His sleep study results call him a “heroic snorer” meaning he can snore in any position, but his snoring has not been found to be connected to sleep apnea or breathing issues. When children snore, however, it is no laughing matter. A child may snore occasionally when he or she has a cold or is “stuffy,” but when a child snores regularly for more than just a week or two and is not ill, it may be a warning sign of sleep-disordered breathing which can lead to dental, behavioral, and health issues. [Read more…]